Did Prohibition lead to the Birth of Organized Crime? Evan Rodriguez English III D2, 4, 6 Ms. Muradian 29 March 2001 Did Prohibition lead to the Birth of Organized Crime? Introduction- did prohibition lead to the birth of organized crime? I. Prohibition A. Legal ban on the manufacture and sale of intoxicating drink B. Alcohol alarmed those concerned with public health and morals C. Drunkenness is considered an evil in most religions 1. Many religious and political leaders began to see drunkenness as a national curse 2. Islam for centuries has forbidden even the moderate use of fermented drink II. The Early Prohibition Movement in the U.S.
A. In England and American colonies, governments after 1750 made many futile efforts to discourage the use of alcohol 1. Believed there was a close relationship between drunkenness and the rising incidence of crime, poverty, and violence 2. Only way to protect society from this threat was to abolish the drunkard-making business B.
a page in an unidentified book
English: Detroit police inspecting equipment found...
Al Capone. Mugshot information from Science and So...first state prohibition law passed in Maine in 1851 1. Prohibited manufacture and sale of spirituous or intoxicating liquors not intended for medical or mechanical purposes 2. 13 of the 31 states had such laws by 1855 3. By 1916, 23 of the 48 states had adopted antisaloon laws C. Post-Civil War 1. Political crisis preceding American Civil War distracted attention from Prohibition a. Many early state laws were modified, repealed, or ignored b. For years few restraints were placed on manufacturing or selling anything alcoholic 2. With population increase came more then 100,000 saloons throughout the country a. Saloons became very competitive for the drinkers' wages.
b. Many permitted gambling, prostitution, sales to minors, public drunkenness, and violence.
III. Temperance Movements A. Progressives B. Anti-Saloon League, the Woman's Christian Temperance Union, and the Prohibition Party C. Women's War broke...